Systems Test Engineer

Job Title: Systems Engineer

Job Description

The Systems Engineer designs, verifies, and supports complex electro-mechanical systems that integrate software, firmware, and hardware, with a strong focus on regulatory compliance, system-level requirements, and safety. This role develops system requirements and architecture, leads integration and verification activities, supports customer and industry interactions, and drives continuous improvement across system engineering processes. The position is highly hands-on, involving lab-based testing, troubleshooting, and close collaboration with cross-functional hardware and software teams.

Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain system requirements by identifying and allocating applicable regulatory, industry, and customer requirements for the system.
• Define product-level system requirements and capture any additional requirements not covered by regulatory or customer standards.
• Develop system functional architecture and define system components based on regulatory and customer requirements.
• Define and document interfaces between internal and external system components, ensuring clear and traceable interface specifications.
• Document design decisions that guide system design and provide interface details for software, firmware, and hardware functional items.
• Plan, develop, and perform regulatory and customer tests as required to demonstrate compliance.
• Develop and execute system requirement-based tests for requirements not covered by regulatory or customer testing.
• Support system integration testing of software, firmware, and hardware, including informal integration activities in the lab.
• Support customer lab and aircraft testing activities, including preparation, execution, and post-test analysis.
• Diagnose and troubleshoot issues within complex integrated systems, such as aircraft systems with multiple sensors and devices.
• Support internal and external troubleshooting activities, working closely with cross-functional teams to resolve system-level issues.
• Contribute to the development of maintenance materials, including System Description and Installation Manuals (SDIM) and related documentation.
• Participate in customer meetings and Technical Interchange Meetings (TIMs) to discuss technical information, requirements, and project status.
• Support industry meetings and working groups where regulatory requirements are developed or refined, such as RTCA DO-xxx and AIMS activities.
• Identify potential technical and project risks and develop mitigation strategies to reduce impact and likelihood.
• Act as an informal leader by facilitating team meetings, coordinating activities, and supporting team decision-making.
• Grow subject matter expertise and support, lead, and train team members in system engineering practices and tools.
• Serve as a project lead for specific initiatives, coordinating system engineering activities and deliverables across the project lifecycle.
• Define new ideas and process improvements that enhance quality, efficiency, and value in system engineering activities.
• Support implementation of new processes, tools, and methods, and evaluate results for measurable improvements.
• Improve system processes and documentation, ensuring clarity, consistency, and compliance with standards.
• Review high-level software requirements (SRD) with a focus on safety, completeness, and alignment with system requirements.
• Support software development activities as needed, such as unit testing and system-level test development.
• Review high-level firmware requirements (HRD) for safety and traceability to system requirements.
• Support firmware-related development and integration activities as they relate to system behavior and performance.
• Define system test requirements and collaborate with hardware and software teams to ensure comprehensive test coverage.
• Develop automated or scripted system tests to avoid overly simple manual testing of single features, using appropriate scripting languages.
• Support new customer pursuits by contributing to RFI and RFP responses, estimates, and technical proposals.
• Develop and support system safety analyses, including Functional Hazard Assessments (FHA), Preliminary System Safety Assessments (PSSA), and System Safety Assessments (SSA).
• Participate in and support project milestone meetings such as kick-off meetings (KOM), design reviews, and test readiness reviews (TRR).
• Produce clear, detailed technical documentation and test procedures that support verification, validation, and regulatory compliance.
• Use test equipment and tools to perform system-level testing of software and hardware integration, including black-box testing of electro-mechanical systems.

Essential Skills

• Bachelor's degree in engineering; electrical engineering (EE) or electrical and computer engineering (ECE) strongly preferred.
• At least 2 years of systems engineering experience.
• Proven systems engineering background, including the ability to understand high-level customer requirements and decompose them into system-level requirements.
• Experience working with electro-mechanical products that incorporate software, firmware, and hardware components.
• Ability to diagnose issues within complex integrated systems, such as aircraft systems with multiple sensors and interfacing devices.
• Hands-on experience with integration testing and black-box testing at the system level for electro-mechanical systems.
• Experience with verification and validation activities at the system level.
• Scripting experience for system test development in at least one language; familiarity with JavaScript or C# is beneficial.
• Strong technical writing skills for documenting system requirements, test plans, and detailed test procedures.
• Experience testing software and hardware integration in a lab or system environment.
• Ability to define system test requirements and work closely with hardware and software teams to implement them.
• Experience with software testing and test development using languages such as C++, Python, or C#.
• Familiarity with RF or aerospace systems or environments.

Additional Skills & Qualifications

• Experience participating in or supporting Technical Interchange Meetings (TIMs) with customers and stakeholders.
• Exposure to regulatory and industry standards development, such as RTCA DO-xxx and AIMS.
• Experience performing or supporting safety analyses such as FHA, PSSA, and SSA.
• Experience supporting or leading project milestone reviews, including kick-off meetings, design reviews, and test readiness reviews.
• Demonstrated ability to identify risks and propose practical mitigation strategies.
• Experience leading or coordinating small project teams or acting as an informal technical leader.
• Interest in mentoring, supporting, and training other team members in systems engineering practices.
• Continuous improvement mindset with experience defining, implementing, and evaluating process improvements.
• Experience with test equipment commonly used for system-level and integration testing.
• background in aerospace applications, particularly aircraft systems, is a strong plus.
• Comfort working in a cross-functional environment with hardware, firmware, and software engineers.

Work Environment

This is a fully on-site role based in Hood River, with work performed in office and lab environments five days a week. The position involves frequent hands-on work with lab equipment, test setups, and integrated electro-mechanical systems. You will collaborate closely with hardware, firmware, and software engineers, participate in lab and aircraft testing, and work with tools and test equipment suitable for RF, aerospace, and system-level verification and validation. The environment supports a culture of collaboration, technical excellence, and continuous improvement, with a strong emphasis on safety, quality, and rigorous system engineering practices.

Job Type & Location

This is a Contract to Hire position based out of White Salmon, WA.

Pay and Benefits

The pay range for this position is $40.00 - $45.00/hr.

Eligibility requirements apply to some benefits and may depend on your job classification and length of employment. Benefits are subject to change and may be subject to specific elections, plan, or program terms. If eligible, the benefits available for this temporary role may include the following:

• Medical, dental & vision
• Critical Illness, Accident, and Hospital
• 401(k) Retirement Plan - Pre-tax and Roth post-tax contributions available
• Life Insurance (Voluntary Life & AD&D for the employee and dependents)
• Short and long-term disability
• Health Spending Account (HSA)
• Transportation benefits
• Employee Assistance Program
• Time Off/Leave (PTO, Vacation or Sick Leave)

Workplace Type

This is a fully onsite position in White Salmon,WA.

Application Deadline

This position is anticipated to close on Jun 12, 2026.

About Actalent

Actalent is a global leader in engineering and sciences services and talent solutions. We help visionary companies advance their engineering and science initiatives through access to specialized experts who drive scale, innovation and speed to market. With a network of almost 30,000 consultants and more than 4,500 clients across the U.S., Canada, Asia and Europe, Actalent serves many of the Fortune 500.

The company is an equal opportunity employer and will consider all applications without regard to race, sex, age, color, religion, national origin, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information or any characteristic protected by law.

If you would like to request a reasonable accommodation, such as the modification or adjustment of the job application process or interviewing process due to a disability, please email ... for other accommodation options.

San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance: Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, for all positions located in the city and county of San Francisco, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

Massachusetts Lie Detector: It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI): We may use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to support parts of our hiring process, including sourcing, screening, and evaluating candidates. AI helps assess applications and qualifications, but final decisions are made by our hiring team. By applying, you acknowledge and agree that your application may be reviewed using AI tools.